Mysterious Elephant Deaths Near Kilimanjaro Put Kenyan Officials on Alert

At least 20 elephants have died since June in a wildlife-rich corner of southern Kenya, near the Tanzanian border and Mount Kilimanjaro, and investigators are struggling to determine why.

Patrick Papatiti, head of operations for Olgulului communal lands, said the death toll has climbed from 19 to 20 as authorities continue testing samples and reviewing field observations. The affected area lies within a landscape that supports one of Kenya's most visited elephant populations, where community lands and farms press against protected reserves.

Early laboratory results pointed to cyanide, a chemical used in some pesticides on nearby farmland. But several wildlife experts remain skeptical. Their main concern: hyenas, vultures and flies that have fed on the dead elephants show no signs of illness or poisoning.

Papatiti described the animals' final days as slow and visibly painful. "They have difficulty walking. They struggle to breathe. They are restless," he said. "They lie down until they die. At times, you would find one struggling for a day, struggling for two or even three days until they completely die."

The deaths follow a severe drought in Kenya in 2022, but Papatiti said the current situation does not suggest thirst or starvation. "Currently, we have abundant pasture around, we have water close to where these elephants go. We have protection within the ecosystem that we work," he said.

That has deepened the mystery around the carcasses. "We have no idea. We are still struggling with our thinking and thoughts around what is happening," he said. "We have seen hyenas eating the carcasses and they don't die. We have seen vultures feeding on the carcasses and they don't die. We have seen flies landing on the carcasses. They feast, get happy and leave. So we have no idea what this is."

Toxicologists note that cyanide can degrade quickly in dead tissue, and not all animals absorb or process toxins in the same way. That means a single positive test may not be enough to explain the pattern, and more detailed laboratory work is needed.

The uncertainty has raised broader worries, especially for people who live and work alongside wildlife. "How do we know if this is going to translate into going to livestock? Then when it gets to livestock, it is going to get to the community, local community around. So, how much are we going to lose until we fight to stop this happening?" Papatiti asked.

Farmers in Kimana, a farming town on the edge of the affected wildlife area, say they are also struggling to understand what is happening. The deaths add another layer of anxiety in a region already coping with drought recovery, land-use pressure and frequent encounters between people and wild animals.

The landscape is also a centerpiece of Kenya's tourism industry. Visitors come from around the world to see elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro, and a die-off of this scale could have long-term consequences for conservation and the local safari economy.

Wildlife authorities and conservation groups say they are continuing to investigate, but no definitive cause has been identified. Until one is found, the elephants' unexplained deaths remain a serious ecological puzzle and a growing concern for the communities that share the land.